


Success of a Doctor

by that_soft_beefy_leaf



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: AU-Robots Are Sentient, Eventual Shane/Farmer, Eventual Shane/Harvey, M/M, Player is a Robot, Robot Farmer, Robots are both science and magic??, Slow Burn, monster fighting, robot oc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 05:22:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18088217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_soft_beefy_leaf/pseuds/that_soft_beefy_leaf
Summary: Robots were not new to this world, they lives among humans just like anyone else. Of course, they were often hired for more dangerous jobs and encouraged to join the Army or Navy, but it was never forced. Unlike the rest of the world, however, it had been a great many years since Stardew Valley and Pelican Town had robotic residence. The last time had been the human farmer who lived out past the forest and roads who built animals and toys in his free time. Perhaps it was time for a change?





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhhh yeah! I made a farmer that looked kinda like a robot and now I love him? I'm also using this as practice while I write some stories I want to eventually publish! I do not have an editor/beta reader right now, so constructive criticism on these first couple of chapters is appreciated!

     Robots were not something new.

     In fact, they had been around for so long that no one really remembered who the first robot was, and the blurred line between machine and sentient robot only made it more confusing for historians. The war had brought their creation to new heights with the additions of cameras that could tell you if an undercover spy seemed nervous, or a doctor who could see the fracture in a rib from a mile away.

     But, of course, Stardew Valley was not a war zone. In fact, the last time anyone remembered having a mechanical resident was the little robotic pets Mister Abel, the old farmer who lived over the road through the forest, used to build as holiday toys for now grown children. But he had long since passed, and it had been even longer since the last time his daughter visited the Valley. Sometimes people would find themselves missing the whirring animals found sleeping among the fields. Stories were told to their children about wonderful Winter Star ornaments that moved along to music.

     The years passed quickly enough by the time Lewis received a letter in the mail with an unknown sender. Opening it revealed a photocopy of a letter written by Mr. Abel and one typewritten sheet signed with a flourish. A picture was attached as well, and it took a couple of looks before Lewis let out a soft chuckle.

     “Oh of course you did, you old fool.”

     In the picture, Marcus Abel sat in a wheelchair in front of a piano, hands blurred as he played. His grey hair was swept up in a short braid and he was dressed as clean and crisp as ever, a carved wooden pin on his chest. On a bench next to him sat two adult women, one of which Lewis recognized as the little raven haired girl who used to tinker with clocks and play with gears while he and Marcus talked in the kitchen. The women were smiling brightly and their eyes twinkled, but what really made Lewis laugh was the figure at Marcus’s side singing along to the music playing.

     Marcus had always wanted to try his hand at building a robot that could live and grow on its own, a venture usually saved for government scientists and specifically trained robots. Once his wife gave birth and died in a following sickness, however, that dream was set aside in favor of raising his daughter. It would seem it had been brought back to give his daughter and her wife a child of their own. Reading the letter attached confirmed that thought, as the writer introduced himself as Marcus Abel’s grandson, interested in taking over the old farmstead left to him in Marcus’s will. The robot in the picture was sleek and shiny, appearing like a young man dressed in a clean button down and dark jeans. A screen wrapped across his face displayed happy eyes, and a smoothly hinged mouth was open to sing.

     Lewis smiled again at the picture before fully reading the letter.

 

_                  To Mayor Lewis of Pelican Town, _

_      I have recently come across this letter given to me by my grandfather, Marcus Abel, at the time of his death. The news inside finds me at a perfect time, as I have found myself lost and without a place to truly call home. I hope this message finds you in good health, and willing to open your town to me. I have enclosed evidence of the validity of my claim and confirmation of my identity, as well as my contact information if you have any more questions. _

_      I remember my mother telling me stories about her adventures on the farm and the peace and joy it brought my grandfather to live there. I believe such a life would be perfect for me, and I have always found the idea of living on a farm quite appealing, though that may just be the romantic in me. I have experience in office and retail work as well as small amounts of animal care, but I am open and willing to learn. I sincerely hope my status will not be an issue, I can promise that I will be able to provide and pay for my own upkeep. _

_      My mother also sends her fondest hello, as she remembers a great deal of good about Pelican Town. _

_      Gratefully yours, _

_           Success “Cessi” Abel _

 

_(xxx)xxx-xxxx_          _cogscessi**.**mail.com_

  
  


     Lewis leaned back in his chair and set the letter on his table in favor of his coffee cup. At one point, before his failing health kept his hands from holding a pen, Marcus had written a couple times to detail his experiences building a robot himself, and the types of people he met during his research. Having the old farm up and running again could be wonderful. Produce would bring more money into town, and perhaps he could ask Success for help clearing the mines of dangerous monsters.

     He finished his coffee and breakfast before walking over to the wall near his desk and picking up his phone. It rang through a few seconds before a voice picked up from the other end.

     “Mornin, Lewis! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

     “Robin, yes good morning! I have just read the most interesting letter, and how would you feel about a scenic drive through the forest?”


	2. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our first introduction to Success Abel, robotic farmer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm really enjoying writing this so far! The next chapter will be Cessi's first experience farming and clearing land, as well as getting a truck to travel in. Also im tossing out any canon character last names cause i can and i dont want to scour the wiki for them.

 

 

     The rumble of the bus wheels over highways and back roads had blurred into the background a good four hours ago. The three other people on the bus were all ignoring each other in favor of their own entertainment, and Success really didn’t mind that. Two weeks after he sent the letter to the mayor he had recieved a pleasant email, detailing Lewis’s delight in hearing someone would be moving into the old farm. It had included a couple pages recalling memories he and Grandpa Marc had shared throughout the years, which Success sent ahead to his mother. The ride had been mostly quiet and no one really talked to each other except for the driver to see if anyone needed a break. 

     Success watched out the window at the fast passing rivers and mountains, green and brown and orange and white all blurring together into one bright canvas. It was a much better pallete than the grey and dull blue of JoJa Corp company offices. People were so much more colorful outside. It reminded him of Maria’s book of flowers she would sometimes show him after lunchtime. He would sit in her lap and she would teach him about the flowers and crops. How they grew, what they looked like. She would give the plants funny voices to make him and Mother laugh. He smiled and turned back to the book in his hands, a novel gifted to him by one of Maria’s friends, a pleasant woman who worked at a farmers market. It was the autobiography of a woman who decided when she was young to leave work behind and traveled the world. In the end, she grew a garden full of plants from everywhere she visited. While not exactly realistic, it was certainly a beautiful idea. He had finished it a while ago and was now halfway through again.

     Outside the window a sign passed and he only had a moment to catch the painted letters spelling out Pelican Town before it was a mile past. The book found its way into his backpack among other items of importance and a few more minutes passed before the bus began to roll to a stop just outside a tunnel at a seemingly broken down stop occupied by another older bus.

     The driver walked out with Success and opened the compartment doors so he could collect his bags just as a figure began to approach the both of them.

     “Hello? Are you Success Abel?” She was stout and relatively short, with long auburn red hair braided tied with a green ribbon. She wore a faded and stained pair of coveralls and a long sleeved yellow shirt with the sleeved rolled up and the legs cuffed above heavy brown boots. Her skin was covered in freckled and she looked middle-aged, some years younger than his own mothers.

     “Yes, I am! Are you the woman Mr. Lewis told me of?”

     “Probably! Hello, I’m Robin Stoake, carpenter of Pelican Town, and occasional welcome committee! We’re really excited to have you here, Mr. Abel.” She had a soft accent that reminded him of warm sun and sweet tea. 

     Robin took a couple of the suitcases and tucked them under her arm as Success tied together a couple bags and hooked them to his backpack and pulled another behind him as she led him down to a fence lined dirt road, where a vintage rust red Chevvy 3100 was parked against the side. She hefted the bags into the bed and with her help Success strapped all his current belongings into one corner. The truck groaned a bit and Robin patted the driver door where a sizable dent lay.

     “Alrighty, Mr. Abel. Down thataway-” she motioned behind the truck where the road opened up further down to asphalt and just out of view sat a blinking yellow stoplight, “is Pelican Town Center, where we have all the usual accommodation, store, bar and inn, doctors office. And up here this way is your own special slice of heaven! It’s still about ten miles to go. I do hope you have transport otherwise you might have to borrow a bike or somethin!” she snorted a little and Success smiled back.

     “Oh, yes. A friend of mine gifted me his old flatbed truck and should be coming up sometime tomorrow or the day after, thankfully.”

     “That’s great! The farm your granddad left behind is roughly two thousand an three hundred square feet, so there’s lots of room to grow!”

     They both got into the truck and Robin started it up with a rumble and sputter before it came to life and she pulled out into the middle of the road. They talked for most of the drive, about the condition of the land, what troubles Success should expect from wildlife, and a bit about some of the townspeople. Around one last curve she slowed, and the dense forest outside the fences opened up into the farm. They rolled up to park behind a tan station wagon in front of a clean looking cabin. From inside an older man emerged and waved to them from the porch railing. Success opened the door and waved back before helping Robin grab all of his bags again and making their way up the front steps.

     “Ah! Mr. Abel! Right on time, I just finished making everything as ready as I could for you. I hope the ride here was no trouble?” The man Success realized must be Mayor Lewis shook his hand and helped him set everything next to the door.

     “No trouble at all. The bus was quiet and Ms. Robin is a very welcoming person. It has already been much better than I hoped.”

     He laughed and clapped Success on the shoulder. His suit was not the most fancy, and style wise it was definitely past its prime, but it fit the old man and his carefully trimmed mustache and brown cap.

     “Well, I do wish it only gets better from here! I have left you a couple things to get yourself on track, and Robin took the time to get a garden plot cleaned and set up ahead of time. You feel free to move anything you like around and come into town whenever you like! Also, see that shipping box over there? If you want anything taken into town you can just leave it in there and I’ll pick it up in the evenings, also anything you want delivered will usually be left in there as well.” Lewis pointed to a large covered wooden crate that sat on a short concrete floor just inside the farmland next to the road. It looked almost as big as a dumpster.

     “Interesting system. I look forward to this experience!”

     “And if you want this old place fixed up just call me!” Robin yelled from by her truck only to bust out laughing at the look she got from Lewis.

     “Rude. However, she is right. We did our best, but there are some things you might like renovated. Should that be the case, Robin is our expert. There is an old road just on the north side of the farm that leads up the mountain to her place, and she’ll also build animal keeping buildings if you would like any. I left a map of the Valley on the table inside for you, as well as a gift.         Have a pleasant evening, Mr. Abel!”

     Lewis shook his hand once more and descended the stairs making his way over to the station wagon and chastising a still giggling Robin as she got in her own truck. Just before he got in though, he shook his head and looked up to Success again.

     “We’re glad to have you, son! Marcus was a good friend of mine, and I truly hope you can find home here.”

     With that, Success waved to the both of them as one after the other they pulled out and drove back down the road to town. As they passed beyond the trees and out of sight he looked out onto his new home.

     The gradually setting sun cast everything in a warm glow, light catching on the stones and fallen branched underneath misplaced trees and the ground cover beneath it. Just as Lewis said, to his left about thirty feet from the house a space had been cleared and a clean plot of dirt was marked out with stones arranged in a large rectangle. The debris and weeds were cleared in a radius around it and a large pole rose up out of the middle. The perfect place for a scarecrow friend, Success thought as he opened the cabin door and began to move all of his things inside. The inside of the cabin immediately made any tension fall from his systems, as he took in the beautiful setting for a breathless minute.

     To his right a small television sat atop a bare cabinet and in front of them sat a dull square sofa and chair set, and he could see back out onto the porch through bay windows framed with sheer creme fabric curtains. To his left the wall leading into the house was set with counter tops and some open faced shelves holding empty jars, cups, bowls, and plates. A polished copper sink and faucet was set in one of the counters and a pale blue refrigerator hummed against the wall closest to the door. At the end of the counters set against a far wall sat a beautiful old metal wood burning furnace that, judging by the handles connected to inset rings along the top, also doubled as a cooking stove and oven. Next to the chimney pipe rising from the stove small wooden shelves set with hooks held a variety of pans and pots, all scrubbed clean and shining with the light that came in from a window above the sink, shaded with a curtain similar to the bigger windows.

     Success walked through in awe, toughing every thing he came across, even kneeling down to feel the rug that lay on the hardwood floor between the sofa and the kitchen area. A small wooden table stood just before the stove paired with a single wooden chair. On it, two boxes wrapped in red ribbon and twine sat along with a card signed by the mayor. In the first, smaller box was a set of seed packs for the spring growing season, and a paper detailing the care needed for each plant. There were seeds for parsnips, carrots, tomatoes, and rhubarb, each one in its own padded bag and carefully labeled in clean handwriting and a sticker picturing each plant. A small stamp in the corner of each bag read ‘Pierre’s’, and Success planned to see if there might be any more seeds he could pick up from town once his truck came in.

     The second box was much bigger, nearly as long as a broom, and rattled when he pulled it closer. Opening it revealed a set of clean and new-looking tools including an ax, pick, shovel,and ho. Laying on its side was also a plastic blue watering can and beneath that was a coiled up belt set with pockets and loops for the tool handles to slide into. Tucked underneath the boxed he found a folded up map, and set it aside to look over tomorrow. For now, it was getting quite late, and some rest was in order.    

     There was still one hallway to go down that ended with a small window that looked out into the forest and split off into two doors. With all his bags in tow, Success opened the one on his right which was the larger room of the two. 

     Inside he found a double size bed covered in a heavy quilt and a set of fluffy pillows. Next to the bed was a small table with an unlit lamp and above the lamp was a small window out which he could just see the dirt road. Next to the door was a closet and dresser set with large doors and drawers. It was a cozy room by all means. The door across the hall opened and Success let out a little chuckle. 

     While there were a great many android who were either built with or chose to upgrade to full human functions, Success was not one of them, and he doubted the toilet would be getting any use soon. He could ingest and taste food, sure, but it was not necessary for energy, and any food was completely broken down into excess energy until all that was left was dust that could be emptied during regular system cleanings. A claw foot tub with a shower head was next to the bathroom sink, and Success took the chance to lean over and wink at himself in the mirror. 

     Nighttime fell pretty quickly as he moved all his clothes from bags and into the closet, and he decided unpacking the rest could wait for tomorrow. Success went through the cabin turning off the lights and closing curtains before he curled up under the blanket and cracked the bedroom window open to let in some of the spring air.

     Just before he could get to sleep though, a buzz echoed from his phone on the table, and he picked it up to see a notification from ‘BubbleBee’

 

_ BB - Hey did you get in okay? _

_ CC - Yeah, they had Papa’s place all set up for me. The mayor and robin are both really nice. I’ll call you this weekend? _

_ BB - yeah its 10 up there right? Gn dude _

_ CC - gn _

 

     The lamp clicked off and slowly his face plate blinked out as Success fell asleep on his first night at his new home.


	3. The Greenhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cessi's first day as a farmer! This chapter also introduces more background characters and gives details into Success's past and family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so, i stopped indenting the paragraphs like 10 in because it takes too much time for me to go through 4 pages of work and indent each time, and I think the paragraph breaks are spacing enough. please enjoy this chapter, and I promise we will go into pelican town in the next one and meet villagers!

 

System readout:

Time: 7:23 AM

All systems functional. All actions primed.

Core temperature: 73° F 

  
  


     Cessi whispered out the systems readings to the mirror, a part of his morning routine ever since he was young. His mother would stand beside him in the mirror and use a thermometer to take her own temperature and smile at him in their reflection. He wiped a damp washcloth across his eye screen and walked back across the hallway to his room, picking up the clothes he laid out earlier and dressing. Gray jeans, Pale yellow long sleeved shirt, black boots, and a light jacket, also black. Last night he had slept surprisingly well, and in the morning when he powered up , there was no residual fear from waking up somewhere unusual. Only peace and calm with the sound of birds singing outside the window.

     Success left the bedroom, slinging a boxy leather bag over his shoulder and looking back out into his new home. The curtains were thrown open again to let in the morning light and ran a hand over the couch, sitting in it and picking up the TV remote from the coffee table, flipping open the back and double checking the batteries before flipping it on. He switched through the channels spending only a minute on each, quick enough to catch the weekly weather and cooking show. When eight o’ clock rolled around a chime rang out from his phone, and checking the messages Success had received a text.

 

_ Mr. Fuck - Hey I’m like 5 min outside the Valley, You up? _

_ Cog Bucket - Yeah do you need directions? _

_ Mr. Fuck - Do I need fucking DIrections? Fuck you dude no i don’t _

_ Cog Bucket - Yeah yeah it's a right turn btw _

_ Mr. Fuck - God damn it fuck you _

  
  


     Success smiled at walked outside onto the porch, grabbing the box of seeds and toolbelt on the way out. He left the front door open to let the fresh breeze blow through the house, and walked down to the garden plot from yesterday. Around the corner of the house, about forty feet back against the land edge fence he saw a stone water well with a tin sheet roof, a wooden rod holding up a rope that led down beneath the ground.

     The garden plot was incredibly well kept and clean, and Robin had even gone so far as to make raised rows of soil for planting. Success walked around and plucked out a few pieces of grass anyway before setting down his box of seeds and the leather box from his shoulder and going through each type to read their requirements. Once he did that, it didn’t take long to decide where to plant each one, but he did take interest in a little warning label on each packet.

 

     “WARNING: Due to the Nature Properties of the Valley, planting these in Valley Soil may result is Faster yield and the possibility of Surprisingly Large Produce!”

 

     “Huh. Interesting.” Another thing to ask Mayor Lewis about, he supposed. He set the packets back in the box and began to dig out small holes to plant them in. He only got about one row down before the tumble of a truck could be heard back down the road to the town. He stood up and watched as a familiar pale blue flatbed truck pulled a wooden and metal trailer behind it, loaded with a motorcycle and a number of cardboard and plastic boxes stuffed full.

     “You turned right, didn’t you?” Success shouted over to the android who climbed out of the driver's seat.

     He looked mostly human, and could have easily passed if you covered nearly the entire left side of his body. War damage had eaten away at his synthetic skin, and no science could get a new one to work. He didn’t really mind though, claiming it added to his charm. He’s a taller, rather filled out man, with muscular arms but the hint of a soft stomach. The half of his hair that remained was black and curly, his skin brown and mottled with freckles, moles, and beauty marks, matched on the other side by spots of discoloration and stain found on the metal. He wore a faded band T and wood stain spotted jeans, and an old red sweater was tied around his hips.

     “Get fucked, Ces! I brought you your stuff and the truck, leave me alone!” Wyatt walked over with his arms wide open still, and Cessi set down his shovel to accept the hug from his old friend.

     “Hey, man. How have you been? How’s Suong?”

     “Oh, you know, still working at the bookshop obviously! And she’s been great! It’s hard enough trying to get her to not work with little Fey on the way. She thought she would catch a break from my nagging while I took this trip, so I called Chau!”

     “Oh Yoba you pulled the overprotective mother card? Yikes, you are getting an earful when you go home.”

     Wyatt chuckled and the two of them walked back over to the truck, each grabbing a stack of boxes and bringing them inside. Wyatt looked around in awe at the house while Success piled the boxes next to the windows. He walked through the kitchen touched the furniture, and opened the glass doors on every cupboard he could to peek inside.

    “Wow, Ces…. If my grandparents had a place like this I would have never left!”

“Yeah, I know… My mom talked about it all the time. By the time they had me and Babs, Moma was already gone and Papa had moved in with her and Maria so he could spend that time with Moma. After that I don’t think he came back here. Kinda sad I missed growing up in this place.”

Wyatt walked closer and lifted a hand to nudge against the side of Cessi’s metal head. “How are your moms, by the way? We got the baby shower gift they sent a while ago, by the way. The music box has actually been really good for Su, helps her fall asleep while I’m working.” He started poking around the stove, picking up the rings and reaching inside to feel the body of the oven.

“That's great! They’ll love to hear that, but at this point I think you live closer to them than I do. Mom is pretty great, her newest book went over with the editors, so it got sent to the publisher last week. Maria Is excited to turn my part of the attic into more workspace for her art. She's always raved about the light that comes through the window there. It is really great for painting, but not really for photography and film, you know?”

Wyatt looked back over at Success and they both laughed.

“You know I don’t know shit about art and cameras! That’s your job, dude! Anyway, I would love to spend all day here and catch up, but I really gotta head out if I want to be back before midnight.”

Success walked him outside and back to the truck, where they hugged before he watched as Wyatt unloaded his motorcycle from the trailer and rode off, leaving behind the old reliable truck and trailer. Deciding to get back to his own work, he went to walk by the mailbox before noticing its blue flag upright.

He opened the box to a single folded paper. The letter welcomed him to the town and invited him to the beach the next morning, if he was free. Signed by someone named Willy, it was short and to the point, with few pleasantries.

Success went back outside and to the garden plot, finishing digging the holes for his plants and making sure all the seeds were properly covered, leaving some of the bag labels to remember what went where. The well worked surprisingly smoothly, the rope was strong and new, and the bucket while made of wood slats did not leak at all! He filled the watering can and poured the water over each mound before making a final sprinkle over the whole plot.

Even after the work and visiting, when Cessi checked his phone it was barely past noon. Deciding it would be more of a waste to go back inside, he left his axe, shovel, and ho on the steps of the porch next to the now empty seed gift box, picked up the leather box to wear again, and climbed into the truck trailer.

Wyatt had fitted the rails with hooks and slings in case he ever needed to transport tools or anything big, and had given Success all of his old tools after last Winter’s Eve, when his wife Suong presented him with new ones, including a cart to replace the old wheelbarrow he had been using to carry wooden boards and supplies.

Now the old green wheelbarrow clattered out of the trailer and Cessi pulled it along, heading west past the house pulling up weeds and digging up rocks along the way. He kept the border fence just in eyesight through the trees, but it was only 20 minutes before he came across a small clearing. The woods and grass opened up in a small square surrounding a building. 

He recognised it as a greenhouse immediately. Maria had a small one built into the side of their house as an anniversary present for Mother years ago, but this building looked so much different than that small glass shed next to the patio. It was overgrown in vines, and the glass was dull and yellowed. The wire and metal framing rusted over, and the door looked warped out of shape. There were countless weeds emerging from the walkway and out from under the door. Despite all that ,with the afternoon sun shining through the trees and through the roof and walls, it cast the whole clearing in a golden glow framed by the wilderness.

He was frozen still before frantically setting down the wheelbarrow and pulling open a zipper on the leather box by his hip. From it he gently pulled out an incredibly old and well kept camera. Using the crank on the side, he primed the film he put in there just before his bus ride into the valley. He stood in front of the greenhouse and brought the viewer to his eye, quickly snapping a couple pictures from the front and moving around the building, taking pictures from every angle he could, sometimes brushing vines and leaves out of the way to frame metal beams and spots in the glass. When he circled back to the front, something on the door cause his eyes, and Success placed the camera back in its bag to walk to the door.

“Hm? It’s an…. apple?” Etched into a wooden plaque on the door was a small apple like thing with thin legs and dots for eyes. Underneath it was a phrase in some language he couldn’t recognise, but just under that was another line.

 

_ Your warmth in the Winter, rain in the Spring, breeze in the Summer, last bloom in Autumn. _

_ My love for you is eternal, Marcus. _

_ ~Genevieve. _

 

“Genevieve? ….Moma.” It was etched in her handwriting, even. He recognised it from the box of letters Pops would read from every anniversary. The greenhouse must have been a gift from her when they were married on the farm. He door was secured with a single padlock, but even if he found the key, Success doubted he could get it open. All around the door and even wrapping around the padlock there were thick and sturdy roots and branches, seeming to grow from the building itself, holding it closed. Cessi used his phone to take a picture of the plaque and sent it off to Maria, asking her if she recognised the language or image and asking to show it to Mother. 

Putting his phone away, Success got to work again, clearing the weeds, rocks, and stray branches he could from the clearing just to make it more nice. Birds and squirrels seemed to watch him from the trees as he cleaned out the whole area, even doing his best to make a clear pathway back to the cabin. Each time the wheelbarrow filled, he pushed it back and to a series of large bins he had found against the side of the cabin next to the well, clearly labeled “WOOD”, “STONE”, and “ORGANICS”. He bundled the weeds together and stacked the branches and stones as neatly as he could. Throughout his cleaning he found some stray seeds and dug out a small spot next to the garden plot to bury them and see what might grow.

As evening came and the sun began to set, he finally went back inside, hanging the toolbelt on the rack next to the door and setting his camera bag on the dining table. The pictures he took today would be alright staying in the film until he could get a good developing setup going. He eyed over the boxes now piled next to the sofa, and opened the fridge to pull out a water bottle.

After a couple drinks, Success got to work. Each box was carefully packed based on what was inside. Clothes were folded and hung up or folded and put in the drawers. Preserves found their place on shelves, and family pictures were hung up on walls all over the cabin. Potted plants were placed on nearly every windowsill and table. One shallow but sturdy plastic box held his developing materials, shallow pans, special lamps, and photo paper, and Success carefully slid it under the edge of his bed. He was already thinking of places that would work for the space he needed, but so far the entire cabin was already being used. It would be a problem for later, he supposed.

He plugged in his laptop next to the bed and let it charge up on the bedside table. There was a very small cupboard just inside the bathroom door which he filled with towels, cleaning clothes, extra bedding, and some disinfectant supplies. Once the laptop charged enough, Success switched it on and got to work. There were emails from old coworkers wondering where he went, which he answered in one mass reply. It had been a really sudden plan to quit Joja and move out of the city, so he left a lot of people thinking he dropped off the face of the earth. Once it was sent, Success double checked any messages from his bank account to confirm his last paycheck from Joja, as small as it was. That had been one of the biggest reasons he finally quit. Joja paid their workers shit, especially robotic workers, citing the lack of need for food by most of the robot population as a reason. For Success the pay hadn’t been much of a problem in the long run, he had other income he relied on, and an uncanny luck for finding things. It was the morals of Joja though. None of the higher ups had even blinked when the skeleton scandal came to light, only brushing it under the rug as the smell only continued to waft over from the next office block over.

There were a couple emails from photography galleries asking for his new address so they could return his work from various shows he had sent them to. Some ad emails that were sent immediately to the bin, and then his inbox was clean again.

When his phone began to ring from his pocket, playing a jazz tune that often played in the Able household years ago he answered it quickly and with a smile.

“Hey Maria! Did you get my text?”

“Cessi, love! I sure did, but we’ll talk about that later, how are you? Was the drive good? Hows the old house? I remember the couple of times Jenna took me up there to stay with your grandfather!” 

Success could just picture her smiling, sitting in front of a half finished canvas with the phone on speaker, her hair pulled high into a loose bun.

“Ria, Ria! Slow down. I’m doing great. The drive was good, and the house is beautiful! That pic I sent is from this old greenhouse about ten minutes out, by the way. The mayor was very nice and apparently had the whole cabin fixed up just before I came here. The builder, a woman named Robin, drove me from the bus stop and offered to build anything I should end up needing, I think you would really like her.”

“That’s wonderful, dear! I showed that picture to Jenna by the way, neither of us know that symbol or the first line of writing, but she did nearly cry at the inscription! You were right about it being from her mother, Cessi. She told me this super sweet story of her building it all by herself with the help of one of your grandfather's old friends for the fifth anniversary of them owning the farm. Kept it a secret for six whole months, which was a record for Blabber Gen!”

“That’s really sweet! It’s fallen pretty out of shape, though. I took some pictures and cleaned up as best I could, but it’s certainly a project.”

“If it’s a project, I know it’s something you can do, love.” 

Success smiled and walked through the house to sit on the bay windowsill, which he coveres with a couple pillows earlier that afternoon.

“Wyatt dropped by with the truck and the rest of my stuff, and this place really feels like home now. I’m heading into town tomorrow morning to see what I can stock up on meet people maybe. What’s Mom up to? How are you both?”

“Oh! Jenna went out to the publishers today to finalize the cover printing for North Stone and make sure they got the series numbering right. I’m just working on some new pieces for the bakery gallery down the road! We called Babs this morning, by the way! She’s doing pretty great sailing, and says she might pop by Gem Sea way to drop in on you sometime!”

“Geez, if she does she needs to tell me first! As much as I love my sister, I want this place to myself for a bit.”

“Oh I know! I told her that and she laughed, of course. I have to be going and making dinner for Jenna now, darling. I’m so happy that you are happy there, it really is a wonderful place. Love you, baby!”

“Love you, Ria. I’ll call this weekend.”

Success hung up and relaxed against the window, looking out onto the grounds. It had only been four days since he last saw Mom and Maria in person and he already missed them. The collection of his mother’s books he owned now sat proudly on a shelf next to the tv, organized by series and the order she wrote them. They were original copies, all signed and filled in the margins with authors notes addressed to him and his sister on nearly every page. Exactly half of the books were photocopies, since he and Bubble always switched off who got the true original copy. He even owned a couple of Maria’s paintings, one family portrait rendered in sharp lighting and primary color highlights hung at the end of the narrow hall above the window. 

He was really happy Maria had called.


	4. Into Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Success, first day under his belt, heads into town and meets some interesting people!

 

9:00 the next morning found Success awake and outside, watering his crops and listening to the birds. This morning, prepared to make a good impression, he wore black overalls, a long sleeved blue striped shirt, and a mustard yellow jacket tied around his middle. The morning chill helped to wake him up, and the blue air made a wonderful backdrop to take a couple pictures of the cabin before he went to work. Already it seemed like the seeds were growing, a couple even showing small sprouts only one day in. Once the watering was finished, he returned the tools to their place and walked back out to the truck, slinging a backpack into the passenger seat.

Success planned on picking up more seed packets and maybe some plant pots and fertilizer. He also wanted to track down Mayor Lewis and chat about how to go about his first season in town. Once inside the truck he opened the map Lewis had left with the tools and seeds and began to study it.

One side was a wide shot of the whole surrounding area, including marking out the edges of the farm and the Gem Sea south of town. There was a large expanse of woods just south of the farm and a couple of marked buildings without labels. There also was a smaller farm labeled as “Marnie’s Ranch”. The other side of the map was a closeup of the town itself, with detailed roads and sidewalks and bridges crossing the river. One dull blue building in the upper right caught his eye, and Success pulled out a marker and put a large X over the entire Joja Supermart. He would not be caught dead buying anything from Joja.

The truck started up without a problem, and he easily pulled out of the farm and back onto the road. The radio thankfully had a jazz station, and he blasted sweet music as he drove through the forest. He passed the bus station eventually and slowed as he did. It was kind of odd to see a broken down bus just sitting there, yet another thing to ask about. He drove through to the stoplight that signaled the start of the town, and pulled up to park along the sidewalk next to the town center. The center itself was marked by a beautiful giant willow tree, its branches hanging over a grassy circle fit with a bench and small wooden table.

Once parked SUccess jumped out and slung the backpack over his shoulder and looked around. From the town center there were multiple ways he could walk, and he remembered the letter left yesterday, putting a mental tab to ask directions to the docks later, but first he wanted to shop. A line of buildings matched up with the ones marked as stores at the top of the map, so he crossed the street and headed that direction.

As he approached the first building, a small two story doctor's office set into the hillside behind it, the door opened and a young woman stepped out. She had brown skin marked with dark freckles, and black hair tied into many small amber braids. She wore nurse’s scrubs patterned with light blue stars and thick square glasses perched on her nose. When she spotted him she glanced over him and did a double take, before smiling gently.

“Um, hi? Are you new here?”

“Yes, actually, just moves west of town! My name is Cessi Able. Don’t mind me, just figuring out where everything is.”

She held out her hand and he shook it.

“No problem, everyone is excited for you to be here. My name is Maru! You met my mother on Wednesday, Robin? She owns the carpentry shop over the hills.”

“Oh yes! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maru, and Robin was a great help. Hey, you mind helping me out a bit?”

“No problem! What do you need?”

Success pulled the map out again and pointed to the beach at the south of town. “I don’t know how to get to the docks, and I got an invitation to meet someone down there yesterday? Also, where would be the best place to meet other townspeople today?”

“Oh!” Maru pulled out a red pen of her own and pulled the map closer, quickly circling a section of the river below the Town Hall. “Mayor Lewis hasn’t updated these maps in a long time, but there's a bridge here that will take you right down to the beach if you take the path between the cemetery and his place! And about meeting people, you are in luck!” She pointed down past the willow tree and to a brown brick building down one of the other roads just in view, “That is our tavern and inn! Some adults are usually there in the evenings, but Friday’s are when almost everyone meets up and hangs out, so that would be your best bet! Show up sometime after six and you’ll have no problem.”

“Thank you! I’ll be there, and I’ll let you get back to your work.”

“Nice to meet you, Cessi!” Maru turned and walked down to the willow, pulling a wrapped sandwich out of on large pocket as she did.

He continued walking down the street, passing the doctor’s office in favor of the store next to it, Pierre’s General Store. The door opened with a pleasant bell jingle. There were rows upon rows of fresh produce and shelves laden with storable foods and general day to day products. A few people walked around the large store, sometimes pausing to exchange pleasantries. At the head of the shop, against the far wall stands one man leaning against the only cashier's countertop in the store. He noticed Cessi and seemed to do a double take before waving down the middle aisle, beckoning him closer. As Success came closer from just out of sight Mayor Lewis walked into view with a small basket at his hip.

“Ah! Mr. Abel! Wonderful to see you, I can assume your evening went well?” Mayor Lewis also becomes Success to join him at the counter along with them man and he did, getting a better look at him.

He had auburn brown hair that might have been a handsome cut if it weren’t overgrown and slightly unkempt, but still nearly split down the middle. Half circle glasses perched on a large nose with a noticeable bump in the middle, probably from a break years ago. A couple of moles spotted his face and his eyes were framed with wrinkles from laughter, made more obvious by the smile he wore along with his blue shirt and brown button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“Yes, the cabin is wonderful, and I appreciate all the work you and Mrs. Stoake put into its renovations. I actually spent this morning planting the seeds you gave me, and I was hoping to pick up some more. I also have someone to visit and I’m looking forward to meeting more people today.”

“Wonderful! But it was not just myself and Robin, you have this man here to thank for most of the furnishings and doodads. This is Pierre, and he can supply you with practically anything you could ever need!” Lewis reached across the countertop to clap the man on the shoulder.

“Don’t flatter me, Lewis, I do have my limits. Pierre Jones, nice to meet you Mr. Abel! I run this store and sales between here and Zulu. I hear you took over the old farm? Any plans so far vis a vis produce?” Pierre shook his hand and took the basket from Mayor Lewis and began scanning the barcodes blind.

“Pleasure is all mine, and yes! I have always been interested in gardening and farming, and I look forward to expanding my crops. Mayor Lewis, I actually wanted to ask you for any advice you might have for me?”


	5. Fishing Pole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cessi follows Maru's directions and finds the beach, meeting two more new friends.

 

They talked for a good hour. Mayor Lewis was quick to show Cessi around and teach him what he knew about that seasons crops, but also made sure he knew not to overwork himself. There would be other seasons to grow crops, he said. That didn’t stop Success from buying a whole stock of new seeds and a couple bags of fertilizer, which Pierre helped carry out into the bed of the truck. After Mayor Lewis left to go home, Pierre called out to a couple of women working to restock the shelves, introducing them as his wife and daughter. Caroline was a small and kind woman, pointing out that if he should ever like it, she ran the town’s clergy for followers of Yoba. Her olive green hair matched her eyes and brought out the warmth in her tan skin. Abigail wore a ratty jean jacket with heavy duty boots and had a short sword strapped into a sheath at her back. Her violet hair swept up into half of a ponytail and her skin was just darker than her mother’s and her face spotted with some dirt and mud her mother was quick to scrub at with a spit wet napkin.

Cessi left the store happy with the advice he got and the people he met, as well as with a phone number Pierre said he should call if he had any questions about the crops later. He checked the map again before getting back in his truck and pulling out into the road. He followed the road south and parked in a small lot on the edge of the river. Out the passenger side window he could see down a row of houses framed with garden plots, bushes, and fenced in backyards He left the truck parked again and started down the riverside path that should take him to the bridge down to the beach. 

There was a small fenced off hatch marked with the word “SEWAGE” and a few toxic symbols. The river wove down the sidewalk. Some places evened out so people could sit on its bank. Ten minutes down found Cessi next to a larger clearing rimed with trees and hidden from the rest of the town by rows of tall bushes. A gate was propped open by a pot of flowers, and each headstone in this towns small graveyard had a small basket of different plants at its base.  

He brushed his hand against the metal fence and walked past the graveyard until he could see the road again and the Town Hall, with Mayor Lewis’s house right next to it and partially connected. Just as Maru had said, there was a well built bridge going over the river and down another pathway. He followed it down between trees and greenery, and soon found sand beneath his feet.

The Beach was not long, and was secluded away from the rest of the coast by the same forest and cliffs that surrounded the rest of Stardew Valley. The tide roared against the sand and shells peeked out from under its waves. A simple dock led out onto the water and a single fishing boat sat moored there. As Success followed an old wooden board path down a man emerged from a building built up from the seafloor on the dock. He waved to Success and beckoned to him to follow down the dock.

“Ay’.”

“You must be Willy.”

“You’d be right, boy. An’ yours?” He was a sturdy man, his hair and beard long overgrown and curled by the sea, greyed by age, and tucked into a beat up brown hat. A long sleeved red jacket hung over muscled arms and thick rubber boots gripped onto the dock.

“Cessi Abel, sir. You sent me a letter asking me here.”

“That I did. Stand there a moment, by the gangway.” He walked across the wooden platform and onto the docked boat, walking through a door and down into the hull. Cessi admired the boat from the outside. It was in impekable shape, well loved, and cared for even more. There was no doubt it had seen its share of storms and catch. Dull blue paint decorated its sides and looking around he could see its name ‘Elkhorn Lady’ painted in curling letters. It was smaller than Babs’ ship, but not cramped.

Willy emerged, carrying two fishing poles and a box of tackle in one arm and a cooler in another. He passed the cooler and box to Cessi before climbing back onto the dock and leaning one of the poles against a bench in front of what Cessi could now see was a tackle shop. He pushed the cooler next to the bench with his boot and the tackle box put on top of it.

“Marcus was a good friend of mine.” Willy sat on a wicker chair pulled from the deck of the boat and motioned for Cessi to sit down on the bench. “Helped me out of some messes when I first came to this town. Never made me feel like I ‘ad to pay him back.”

He took a deep breath and sighed, looking out past the edge of the dock. “You ever been fishing, boy?”

“Yessir. My mother took us camping a lot, though I’ll admit it’s been a while.”

“Own a pole?”

“No. Me and my sister shared when we were little, and she took it with her when she moved out.”

“Good.” He pulled a pipe out of the front pocket of his jacket and a match, expertly swiping it against his fingernail to light it, taking a smooth drag. “Fishing is a dying art, ya’ know. People don’t talk to the water like they used to. City life has its appeal, I’m sure, but nothin’ beats this. The rocking of the water, it puts your heartbeat in the right place. An’ you only know the … energy in your veins when you see the fish swimmin’ the way they do.”

The smoke in his mouth curled out and onto the breeze, and Cessi understood what could be attractive about a wild sea and her men.

“Take that one. I’ve no use for it, just got an upgrade, but it’s a reliable rod. Treat her nice and you’ll never have a bad catch.” He motioned to the pole he had leaned against the bench, and Cessi took it in his hands, feeling its weight and studying the strong line on the reel.

“Are you sure? I couldn’t-”

“Take a gift when I offer it, boy, and never try an’ pay it back. I’ve got too little room for that on my Lady. Sell what you catch for money. I’ll buy it off of ya, just to see what ya got.” WIlly motioned back up the beach and turned away in his chair, picking up his own fishing rod and opening his tackle box.

Cessi closed his mouth in mild surprise and blinked. He made sure the hook was out of the way and picked up the fishing rod, holding it like a prize. He began to walk back up the dock before one last thought struck him.

“Ah, sir?”

“I’ll be selling bait tomorrow, but any worms you dig up from the ground work. Your farm used to be full of ‘m.”

“... Thank you.” Cessi walked back out onto the sand and up to the path, still in awe of the somewhat strange fisherman. 

Walking back along the sand and looking to town he spotted a building he couldn’t see before. A cabin tucked back into the foliage, decorated with shells strung up and driftwood carvings. The windows were open and while linen curtains fluttered just inside. As Cessi followed the path back up to the bridge he saw a man standing at its top, staring down to the flowing water.

His ginger hair long and flowing, red suit jacket bright against the plain wooden boards. The now afternoon sun sparkled in the water and reflected up into his face, illuminating a strong jaw and warm brown eyes. He looked up as Success began to cross the bridge, and leaned against the railing, putting on a brilliant smile framed with two dimples.

“You have been the talk of the town, my friend. My name is Elliott. I saw you talking to Willy down there and thought I should wait to introduce myself. The beach is my home and life is my poison! What’s yours?”

“At the moment apparently, it’s interesting people. Success Abel, pleasure.” He fumbled a bit to get both the map and fishing pole into one hand while Elliot laughed a bit. He shook the man’s hand, surprised at its softness before bidding goodbye and continuing back along the riverside to his truck.

By the time Cessi pulled up back at the farm, it was barely past two o'clock. He pulled the fishing pole out of the back and leaned it up against the porch near the chair there and got back to his haul from Pierre’s. He rechecked the size of where he wanted the next garden plot, just south of the first one with a little path between them, and got to work digging up the soil. Unable to be tired, he cut into the large square of earth over and over, digging deep enough to put in a weed guard and ring the whole thing in solid river rocks. He took one bag of fertilizer and sprinkled it over the plot, turning the earth over again to mix it in.

The seeds and bulbs came next. A row of onions, a row of snap peas, two of cherry and pear tomatoes. In a ring around them all following the rocks he alternated carrots and mint, remembering how his mother would spray mint in the windows during ant season. When that was all finished he watered the square, careful not to step on the small mounds of dirt used to mark each place. Like the other plot, he left the seed labels weighed down in the dirt.

Success groaned then he walked back inside the cabin and set his belt and tools down, finally noticing the mud caked on his legs and stray leaves stuck to the cuffs of his pants. He checked the clock hanging next to the TV. Four-thirty. Just barely enough time to change, scrub the dirt from his body, and head back into town to hopefully meet more people.

The shower pressure was perfect and the water scalding hot. He polished his visor carefully, watching as the foggy mirror slowly cleared up. Cessi pulled out some of his best clothes and carefully choose among them.

In the end he wore a light gray long sleeved short and a pair of olive green overalls. He tied a patchwork fleece jacket around his sips in case it got chilly nad pulled the straps of the overalls down to hang over the jacket. He tied some rough yarn and twine bracelets to his wrist and a watch on the other one. He pulled out a clean pair of slim black boots and just for fun a pair of rainbow socks under them.

He switched the bedroom,bathroom, and kitchen lights off, leaving only the livingroom to shine through the curtains. The ride back into town was beautiful, with the evening sun streaming through the trees and the sound of birds through the open window. The breeze blew through the truck, bringing with it the smell of flowers and water. The smell of Spring.


	6. The Backbone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Success finds his way to the center of town as the evening creeps closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short!  
> I really wanted to update, and I promise we will be meeting most of our remaining cast in the next chapter! In other news, In-Game Success and Harvey just got married and if I was just .5% more crybaby than I already am I would have cried on my laptop.

The small parking lot in front of the Stardrop Saloon was a good half full, mismatched cars and trucks taking up their spaces. Cessi recognised the truck Robin brought him to the farm in, at least one recognisable face promised inside. Even from out here he could hear laughter and cheerful music.

The door opened easily opened and golden light shone out, greeting Success with views of wide smiles. The wooden tables set up around the room were filled with people chatting. A burly man with a full face and wide smile stood behind the bar, polishing and filling glasses. A blue haired woman wove among the tables, chatting with customers and passing out steaming food from a tray balanced in the air. Up at the bar a couple of people sat grouped together, and Cessi recognised Robin from her amber ponytail and Maru next to her.

Robin turned when the door opened and smiled when she saw him, motioning through the room to him.

“Why hello stranger! How’s the stay been? Oh! This is my daughter, Maru, and the handsome nerd next to her is my husband.” Robin scooted her glass of wine down and offered the seat at her side to him.

“I’ve met him, Mom! We ran into each other in front of the office.”

“Yes, your daughter is a very polite woman, Robin.”

The man next to Maru leaned back to wave, a bean covered spoon in hand. Dark brown tight curls cut tight at the sides, and Success noticed the same wrinkles under his eyes when he smiled that Maru had.

“Demetrius! Pleasure to meet you, I’m the scientist around here and I look after the ecosystems in the Valley.”

“Pleasure is mine, Cessi Abel.” They both reached around the backs of the women to shake hands.

Robin called over to the barman and he set a glass of water in front of Cessi.

“Abel, this is Gus Hardey! Mayor Lewis is the body of this town, but Gus is its backbone.”

“You flatter me, Robin! I am but a man. Tell me, friend, anything tickle your fancy tonight? I serve alcohol, soft drinks, and dabble in catering.” Gus had a thick and heavy accent, and the hand he offered was equally strong and warm. Cessi took a moment to look over a chalkboard against the back wall listing all the available drinks and snacks before ordering a simple spiked lemonade. Gus smiled, showing off a snaggle tooth on the left side and twirled one end of his moustache before retreating to another end of the bar.

Demetrius got started talking about the forest after another drink and Cessi watched with a smile, listening to him talk about the kinds of bats and mushrooms in the area as Robin dug into a bowl of sunflower seeds and Maru laughed at her father’s ramblings. An hour passed between the four of them and Cessi nursed his drink slowly. When the clock edged past eight, Maru waved somewhere behind Cessi and he turned to see three people emerge from a hallway he hadn’t noticed before.

There was Abigail from earlier that day, and leaning onto her shoulder was a tall and thin young man with spiked blonde hair, who used one hand holding a can of soda to wave back to her. Next to the boy was another one, this one shorter, but his hair dark and long, tied up in the back with a loose knot. His skin was pale and freckled where the blonde was tanned and smooth. The dark haired boy split off from the other two at the door and walked over to Robin, nudging her back and motioning to the door as he avoided eye contact with Cessi.

“Hm? Oh! Abel, this is my older kid, my son Sebastian! You heading home, Seb?” When he nodded Robin checked the clock behind the bar and nearly did a double take. “Jeez, we should be heading out, actually! It’s a bit of a drive back up the mountain. You should visit sometime, Abel, and join us for dinner.”

“I’d like that, and thank you for letting me sit with you all tonight, really helped me feel welcome. Nice to meet you as well, Sebastian.”

Sebastian nodded shortly and followed his friends out the door. Robin paid the family’s tab and tip and they all said their goodbyes before leaving together.

Cessi decided to stay or a while and tuned his barstool to the side, choosing to calmly watch around the room. He didn’t recognise anyone there except for the man named Elliot, who sat against one wall across the table from a young woman who could have been his mirror except for the artistic scrawls that covered her whole arms and color stained jeans. Gus and the blue haired woman shared quips and laughs over orders and Success took sips of his drink.


	7. First Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaa im so tired and im drawing fanart for a scene thats not gonna happen in a long while

 

“Anything you want to know, friend?”

The orders waned a few minutes ago, and Gus had pulled up a barstool on the other side of the bar to chat. Cessi finished his drink to take the offer of an iced glass of water. The blue haired woman had walked over soon after the Stoake family left and offered her hand, introducing herself as Emily Joan-Shine and admiring “the pleasant feeling of his energy”. Probably just the hum from the wires just below his skin.

Success glances around the room again and once more feels that wriggling thing of an unfamiliar place.

“Could you… Tell me about this town? The people living here?” He worried the lip of his glass.

“Oh that is no issue! I know many things about the people here, though sometimes I can still be surprised!” Gus leaned forward and whispered theatrically behind his hand, his thick accent rumbling his chest with a chuckle shortly after.

Gus then clapped his hands together and motioned for Cessi to get settled before starting with the far end of the bar and a short motion of his hand.

“There you see the elusive Pam! My most loyal customer and dear friend. She used to run the busses out of the valley until one bad storm took out the terminal there. The bus never worked after that!” The woman he talked ov was nursing one mostly empty beer stein next to a group of empty ones. Her head of permed blonde hair bobbed slightly and a lipstick stained smile was sent their way as she noticed them. She waved slowly at Cessi before unceremoniously laying her head in her arms. “Oh my. Her daughter, Penny, is a good lass. Brilliant mind and kind heart, but no stomach for drink. She... does not come in here, and I do not blame her. She teaches the children and helps them with homework.”

Gus walks over to Pam for a moment and nudges her awake, motioning to a swinging set of doors and helping her walk through them before returning to his seat.

“That table across the way is the ‘artists table’.” Gus chuckled and motioned to Elliot and the woman who laughed over their drinks. “Elliot Poire and Leah Johnson. Beautiful minds and talented people, the closest of friends. Elliot is a very eloquent poet with a quiet heart and writers hands. Leah, on the other hand, is as wild as they come! She follows her heart always, even if it guides her in circles. They both moves here to follow their dreams. I admire that.”

He motioned next to the corner table and Cessi did a slight double take as he recognised Pierre and Caroline sitting close together. He hadn’t recognised them at first, their arms around each other and sides pulled close as they laughed and shared a tall drink between them.

“Caroline and Pierre! Our forever youths. Twenty two years they have been married and yet, their love is as pure and gleeful as that first week. I have seen Caroline grow up from a little lass and she and Pierre have what many of us dream of. You saw their daughter, the purple haired Abigail earlier.”

“I’ve met them yes. I stopped by the shop this morning. They seem like a really kind group, and Abigail seems really capable.”

“Oh she is! Our little hometown adventurer. Took her first step into the town mines to hunt monsters when she was seven! Besides the local Adventurers Guild, she is the protector of our town. She really has a heart of gold, especially around the children. The young man with the blonde hair earlier is her friend, Sam. He is incredibly bright, both in personality and smarts. His mother is the town caregiver! If you ever need someone to talk to or a home cooked meal, go see Mrs. Jodi Carver.”

The door chimed and in walked Mayor Lewis, smiling at the round of greetings sent up around the room. He held the door open for a woman behind him, and she took his arm with a shy smile. The both of them sat at the table closest to the door, and Emily brought them a tall colorful drink and a double set of straws. Mayor Lewis looked up from his lady friend and blinked at Success, giving him a small wave.

“Speaking of young love…” Gus shared a chuckle as Cessi mirrored the mayor’s wave. “Lewis and Marnie. Of course those two think they are so…. Ah… secretive? Yes, secretive. Everyone knows about their courtship, but we do not say anything for Lewis’s pride. You have met him, obviously. Marnie is our other town farmer, but she cares more for the animals. She runs Marnie’s Ranch with help from her nephew and little niece. Her nephew is that man over there, Shane. Another regular.” 

After listening to Gus talk about the stout woman with thick dark amber hair he turned and looked over the man he discreetly pointed out. Said man quickly glanced away when their eyes met and brought a mostly empty stein to his lips. He had a bit of a beer belly hidden under a faded gray shirt and  joja jacket, which Cessi internally grimaced at. In contrast to his soft middle, his arms and legs seemed quite built, probably from the time spent on his aunt’s ranch. He leaned against the bar and wall next to a roaring fireplace, and a slight sway betrayed that the beer in his hand was likely not his first of the night.

“He is not a… frequently spoken man, but a good one at heart I’d like to think. That about covers our guests tonight! There are a few missing… Clint and Harvey, our other two working men. Ahh, Alex prefers his sleep as does Emily’s sister Haley. Evelyn and George likely could not stay awake long enough to come in even if they wanted too!”

Gus shared a few more insights about the town before Cessi noticed the clock edging on eleven o'clock and decided it was time to head back. He paid his tab in addition to a tip for the friendly chat and waved goodbye to Gus and Emily. He passed with a nod to Mayor Lewis and a short wave to Marnie.

Outside the moon was high in the sky and sunset was long gone. He pulled out of the parking lot, as small as it was, and turned on the headlights for the mountain trip home.

 


End file.
